Tkaietic-signal eob- motor-vehicles



B; B. LEUSTIG.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE7. I919.

1 ,323,295. Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

jnven-l'or. I QAQQAQ BENNO 'IB. LEUSTIG, 01E CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TRAFFIC-SIGNAL FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

Application filed June 7, 1919. Serial No. 302,454.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENNO B. LEUSTIG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahog'a and tateof Ohio, have invented a new and useful vTlrailic-Signal for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in traflic signals for motor-vehicles, and pertains more especially to a trafiic signal com prising a tail-light, a semaphore-arm, a plate bearing the word Stop, and a plate bearing the license number.

One object of this invention is toproduce a reliable and efficient trafiic signal of the character indicated which is equally serviceable at night and in the daytime for indicating the direction the vehicle is about to take in turning corners or rounding curves and for indicating that the vehicle is about to stop preparatory to arresting the movement of the vehicle.

-Lnother object is to have the hereinbefore mentioned semaphore-arm illuminated at night in any one of the three indicative positions into which said arm may be actuated- .fromits downwardly pointing and normal position.

Another object is to have the hereinbefore mentioned plates, supported from a bracket provided with the pivotal member from which the semaphore-arm, an actuating member. for said arm and the tail-light are supported.

Another object is to facilitate the assemblage of the component parts of my improved device and to render said device simple, strong and durable in construction.

With these objects in view, and to attain any other object hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in certain features of construction, and combinations .and relative arrangements of parts, hereinafter described in this specification, pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2-2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow;

My improved traffic signal for a motorvehicle comprises a tubular pivotal member 5 adapted to be disposed or arranged longitudinally of said vehicle and supported from a circular metal bracket 6 arranged at the inner end and facing endwise of said pivotal" member. Said bracket (see Fig. 1) is shown secured near its outer circumierential edge, by screws 7, to a member 8 forming a part of or rigid with the rear portion of-the ody or framework of the vehicle. Said bracket is provided centrally with a'screW threaded hole 10, and the pivotal member 5 1s circular in cross section from end to end and arranged centrally ofsaid bracket. The

tial edge of the bracket so as to form an an-Y nular recess 13 at the inner side of the bracket. Within the recess 13 are nuts 1 threaded onto the shanksof bolts 15 which are parallel with the pivotal member 5 and I extend through a substantially vertical annular metal plate 16 which extends around and faces endwise of but is. spaced from said pivotal member and is arranged opposite the outer side'of the bracket 6. The bolts 15 have their heads countersunk in the plate 16 which is provided centrally with an annular flange 17 which is concentric relative to and snugly embraced by the annular offset por tion 12 ofzthe bracket 6, and said portion of said bracket and said flange cooperate in preventing vibration of said plate 16 inde pendently of said bracket and in avoiding strain on the bolts 15, It will be observed that the plate 16 is clamped to the offset per-,

tion 12 of the bracket 6 by and between the head of each bolt and the nut 14 on said bolt.

screw-threaded inner end portion of said.

pivotal member so as to form, at the inner face of said pulley, anannular shoulder 19 on said pivotal member, and said shoulder is arranged to prevent shifting of said pulley into frictional contact with the plate 16.

The pulley 18* is rotated. in any' approved manner. A suitably driven belt 20 is shown in operative engagement with said pulley. Means for transmitting ower to a pulley or rotary member from the steering wheel or other place (not shown) on a motor-vehicle are too well known in the art of operating traffic signals to require further illustration and description in this specification.

A semaphore-arm 21 is rotatab y mounted, at the outer face of the pulley 18, onthe pivotal member 5 and is therefore arranged between the pulley and the outer end of said pivotal member and spaced from said end. The semaphorearm, in its normal position, points downwardly and projects below said pulley a suitable distance.

My improved traflic signal also comprises a tail-light comprising a cylindrical casing 22 which surrounds the outer end portion of and extends outwardlybeyond the outer end of the pivotal member 5, and said por tion of said pivotal member is screw-thread ed externally. The casing 22 is shown diametrically larger than the pulley 18 and has its inner head or end 23 rotatably mounted, I

at the outer side or the semaphore-arm 21, on the rear end of the central and externally plain portion or" the pivotal member 5, and said semaphore-arm and said head 23 are secured, preferably removably by screws 24, to said pulley, and consequently said pulley constitutes an actuating member for the semaphore-arm and said casing, and said casing and the semaphore-arm are rotated during the rotation of the pulley. The operation of semaphore-arms on motor-vehicles is too well understood in the art to require description in detail in this specification. Suffice it to state that the semaphorearm 21 is actuated into a horizontal position to point laterally of the casing 22 in the one direction as indicated by broken lines at 27, Fig. 2, or in the opposite direction as indicated by broken lines at 28, Fig. 2, preparatory to turning of the vehicle in the one direction or the other, and that preparatory to stopping the movement of the vehicle said arm is actuated into an upwardly pointing position in which it projects above said casing as indicated by broken lines at 29, Fig. 2.

The outer end portion of the pivotal member 5 obviously extends into the inner end portion of the interior chamber 30 or". the casing 22, and within and centrally of said chamber is an incandescent electric lamp 31 supported from said pivotal member in any approved manner, and said pivotal member houses electric wiring 32 connected to said lamp.

Within the outer end of the casing 22 is the usual red lens 33 of the tail-light, and

said lens is removably held in place in anyapproved manner. The surrounding wall of the chamber 30 is partially formed by four colorless light-transmitting lenses 3 1 which are held in place in any approved manner and spaced equidistantly circumferentially of said casing, and in the illustrated normal position of said casing one of the lenses 3 1 is arranged at the bottom of the casing, an other of said lenses 3 1 is arranged at the top of the casing, and the remaining lenses 34 are arranged at opposite sides respectively of the casin Two nuts 35 are shown arranged Within the inner end portion of the chamber 30 and screwed onto the externally screw-threaded outer end portion of the pivotal member 5 and arranged to prevent displacement of the casing 22 outwardly from said pivotal member. Preferably said givotal member has its nutbearing outer end oortion smaller in ex ternal diameter than its central and externally plain portion, so that/an annular shoulder 36 is formed on said pivotal member at the inner end of said nut-bearing portion, and said shoulder prevents movement of the inner nut into frictional engagement with the head 23.

The hereinberore mentioned plate 16 is provided with two laterally spaced lower arms 37 having their inner portions diverging downwardly, and each of said arms extend downwardly to and under the travel or path of the semaphore-arm 21 and has its outer end portion 38 projecting upwardly at the outer side of said path, and a license number plate 39, shown bearing the number 17 4-1 at 1ts outer side or face, is arranged opposite the outer sides of said outer end. 7 portions of and supported from said arms.

Said license number plate is therefore spaced downwardly from the pivotal member 5 and supported from the bracket 6 and arranged at the outer side of the path of the semaphore-arm and under the inner end portion of the casing 22 and has such arrangement relative to the bottom lens 3 1 that during the operation of the lamp 31 light is transmitted through said lens and illuminates the number on the license number plate. It will be observed that said lamp and the lenses 3 1, relatively arranged as shown, constitute means for illuminating the license number plate and the semaphore-arm in any one of the hereinbefore mentioned indicative positions of said arm. '7

The plate 16 is also provided with two upwardly diverging laterally spaced upper arms 40 extending preferably above and over the pulley 18 and above the casing 22,

and a sign consisting of a plate 41 bearing tially of said pivotal member and pointing downwardly in its normal position and adapted to be actuated into the one or the other of two oppositely and laterally pointing indicative positions or into an upwardly pointing indicative position, means for actuating the semaphore-arm, means for illuminating the semaphore-arm in any one of the aforesaid indicative positions of the semaphore-arm, and a stop-indicating sign spaced upwardly from the aforesaid pivotal member and arranged at the inner side of the path of the semaphore-arm and supported from the aforesaid bracket.

2. In a traffic signal for a motor-vehicle, a pivotal member adapted to be disposed longitudinally of the vehicle, a bracket supporting said pivotal member and adapted to be carried by the vehicle, a plate arranged at the outer side of and secured to said bracket and facing endwise of said pivotal member, a semaphore-arm supported from and movable circumferentially of said pivotal member and arranged between said plate and the outer end of said pivotal member and spaced from said plate and pointing downwardly in its normal position and adapted to be actuated into the one or the other of two oppositely and laterally pointing positions or into an upwardly pointing position, means for actuating the semaphore-arm, and a stop-indicating sign spaced upwardly from said pivotal member and arranged at the inner side of the path of the semaphore-arm and supported from the aforesaid plate.

8. In a trailic signal for'a motorvehicle, a pivotalmember adapted to be disposed longitudinally of the vehicle, a bracket supporting said pivotal member and adapted to be carried by the vehicle, a substantially vertical plate arranged at the outer side of and secured to said bracket and facing endwise of said pivotal member and having upwardly projecting laterally spaced arms, a semaphore-arm supported from and movable circumferentially of said pivotal mem: her and arranged between said plate and the outer end of said pivotal member and spaced from said plate and pointing downwardly in its normal position and adapted to be actuated into the one or the other of two oppositely and laterally pointing positions or into an upwardly pointing position,

means for actuating the semaphore-arm, and

a stop-indicating sign spaced upwardly from the aforesaid pivotal member and arranged at the inner side of the path of the semaphore-arm and supported from the aforesaid arms of the aforesaid plate.

4:- In a traffic signal for a motor-vehicle, a pivotal member adapted to be disposed longitudinally of the vehicle, a bracket supporting and extending circumferentially of said pivotal member and adapted to be carried by the vehicle and having an outwardly offset annular portion which is substantially concentric relative to and spaced from said pivotal member, a plate surrounding and facing endwise of said pivotal member and arranged at the outer side; of and secured to said portion of said bracket and having an annular flange embraced by said portion of said bracket, a semaphore-arm supported from and movable circumferentially of. said pivotal member and arranged between said plate and the outer end of said pivotal member and pointing downwardly in its normal position and adapted to be actuated into the one or the other of two oppositely and laterally pointing positions or into an upwardly pointing'position, means for actuating the semaphore-arm, and a stop-indicating sign spaced upwardly from the aforesaid pivotal member and arranged at the inner side of the path of the semaphore-arm and supported from the aforesaid plate.

In testimonywhereof, I sign the foregoing specification, in the presence of two witnesses.

BENNO B. LEUSTIG.

Witnesses:

CASPER J. LORER, RUnoLrH H. BENDER. 

